Head of Facilities Management Recruitment Opportunity

Assembly Grade: 4

Salary: £62,549 – £64,446

Deadline: Completed Application Forms must be submitted no later than 12 noon (UK time) on Friday 29 September 2023.

Please retain a copy of this booklet for your reference throughout the selection process (you can download a PDF version of this booklet using the link above).

Foreword

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an outstanding individual to join the Northern Ireland Assembly (the Assembly) as Head of Facilities Management.

As Head of Facilities Management you will be responsible for the upkeep and operation of Parliament Buildings, one of Northern Ireland’s most prestigious and iconic buildings.

Working at the Assembly offers a dynamic and rewarding career. You will be joining an exceptional, high-profile organisation with a dedicated and inclusive team, working in a fast moving and constantly changing political environment, where no two days are the same.

This is a challenging and rewarding position and you will make a significant contribution to the life and work of the Assembly.

We are therefore seeking a talented, motivated, energetic leader focused not only on delivering the highest quality of services, but also on maintaining and developing a professional, highly skilled and motivated team. You should have a passion for the Assembly and be able to bring ambition, innovation and fresh thinking to our facilities and services and how we deliver them.

You will be working in a politically complex and sensitive environment and you should actively demonstrate our values of professionalism, respect, impartiality and integrity in everything you do.

In turn, we offer a competitive salary, excellent pension provision and a range of other employee benefits listed on the Recruitment website.

If you would like to find out more about the post please contact Joanne Murdoch at joanne.murdoch@niassembly or telephone 02890 521741.

Steven Baxter
Director of Corporate Services

About Us

The Assembly is at the heart of political and public life as the democratically elected parliament that represents the interests of Northern Ireland and its people.

Established as a key element of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, the Assembly comprises 90 Members and has three main functions – making legislation, scrutinising the Executive and representing constituents.

In accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the staff, services and facilities which are needed to support the work of the Assembly are provided by the Assembly Commission, a corporate body comprising the Speaker and five Members of the Assembly. The day-to-day running of the Assembly is delegated to the Clerk/Chief Executive and the Senior Management Team (SMT).

The Assembly Commission therefore provides the infrastructure (including Parliament Buildings), facilities and staff to allow the Assembly and its Committees to meet and to encourage public awareness of, and engagement with, the parliamentary process. It also pays the salaries of Members and reimburses the expenses which enable them to undertake their duties both at the Assembly and in their constituency offices.

The Assembly Commission is a high-achieving and professional organisation providing impartial support to the Assembly and its Members. The Assembly Commission is independent of the Executive and the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

The Assembly Commission has approximately 370 staff and an annual revenue budget of £51m. Our organisational structure is illustrated on the Northern Ireland Assembly Recruitment website.

Contents

• About the Role
• Core Responsibilities
• Essential Criteria
• Shortlisting Criteria
• Assembly Skills and Behaviours
• Equal Opportunities Statement
• Location
• Completing the form
• Recruitment and Selection Framework
• Stages of the Selection Process
• Guaranteed Interview Scheme
• Key Employee Benefits
• Terms and Conditions of Appointment
• Equality Monitoring
• Merit List
• Communication during the recruitment process
• Further Information

About the Role

The Head of Facilities Management reports directly to the Director of Corporate Services and is responsible for ensuring that Parliament Buildings provides excellent facilities for Members, staff and visitors.

The Head of Facilities Management is a critical role with responsibility for the maintenance and management of the Grade-A listed Parliament Buildings and its artefacts, health and safety, sustainable development, catering, cleaning and the supply of office stationery and equipment.  The postholder will lead and manage a team of approximately 16 staff.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic and Operational

• Develop and deliver a vision and life-cycle plan to maintain Parliament Buildings in a manner befitting its Grade A listed status and in accordance with all relevant building-related legislation.
• Manage and deliver building and construction related capital projects in line with PRINCE 2 methodology (or similar) on time and on budget.
• Manage maintenance, catering, cleaning, housekeeping, office resources and related contracts and servicesin line with KPIs and value for money considerations, maximising performance and ensuring services are customer focused and driven by quality and continuous improvement.
• Meet the Assembly Commission’s commitment to being an exemplar in sustainable development and building efficiency.
• Manage all resources, including budget, staff and space utilisation in Parliament Buildings, effectively and efficiently to deliver areas of responsibility, contributing to, and in support of the Corporate Strategy and Corporate Plan.
• Participate in Directorate and Head of Business Team meetings to develop and influencesolutions to operational, policy and strategic issues.
• Develop and maintaining effective working relationships with Members, staff, building users and relevant external stakeholders toensure operational effectiveness and that work is informed by best practice.

People and Performance

• Lead and manage staff and build a high performing, enthused and responsive team that is focused on delivering excellence in all aspects of service delivery and the delivery of business objectives.
• Promote a culture of learning and innovation and ensure that staff are appropriately qualified, experienced and skilled in order to deliver the services required.
• Promote a strong performance culture by focusing on targets, outcomes and value for money.

Accountability and Corporate Governance

• Operate sound financial management and monitor and control budgets to ensure the effective use of public resources and maximise value for money.
• Prepare high quality, well-reasoned, clear, concise business cases, papers and reports for SMT and the Assembly Commission as required.
• Comply with all of the Assembly Commission’s staff policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures and all mandatory training requirements.
• Manage information and records in accordance with established policies and statutory requirements.
• Comply with statutory obligations with respect to health and safety legislation.

You may also be required to carry out other duties that the Assembly Commission reasonably requires of you.

Essential Criteria

Applicants must, by the closing date for applications:

1. Hold a full Membership of a professional body in a construction-related discipline such as architecture, civil/structural engineering, electrical/mechanical engineering and building/quantity surveying.

AND

Have at least 3 years’ experience in each of the following five areas:

a) Leading and developing a range of high performing teams to deliver effective outcomes and performance improvements in line with customer requirements.

b) Leading on and delivering significant service restructuring and improvement and demonstrating flexibility, adaptability and resilience under pressure.

c) Delivering substantial* building and construction related capital projects in an occupied building, to agreed quality, cost and timescale.

d) Managing substantial* building maintenance and/or facilities related contracts, maximising performance and value for money and measuring success against KPIs.

e) Preparing business cases, papers and reports to Senior Management and Board level**.

*A substantial contract means a contract with an overall value in excess of £0.5m.

**Senior management is defined as the top management level of the organisation.

OR

2. Hold a relevant advanced learning qualification (minimum Level 4 or equivalent) in building maintenance, construction, facilities management or project management.

AND

Have at least 5 years’ experience in each of the areas described at a) – e) above.

Shortlisting Criteria

Should shortlisting be required, the following shortlisting criteria will be applied:

• Delivering substantial* building and construction related capital projects and building maintenance in a public or listed building.

Assembly Skills and Behaviours

The following Assembly Skills and Behaviours will be assessed during the selection process:

Delivering a quality service

…is about providing a high-quality and efficient service to our customers. It is thinking ahead, managing resources effectively and delivering work on time and to a high standard. It is also using professional or technical expertise to enhance service delivery.

Building relationships and effective communication

…is creating and maintaining positive, professional and respectful internal and external working relationships through effective and appropriate communications.

Initiating improvement and delivering change

…is looking for and being open to new and innovative ideas and improvements to the service provided. It is being flexible and adapting positively and professionally to sustain performance when the situation changes, workloads increase or priorities change. It is about forming sound, evidence-based decisions and being accountable for results.

Managing and leading self and others

… is setting high standards for ourselves. It is about guiding, motivating and developing others to achieve high performance. It is about engaging others in delivering a corporate vision of excellence, expertise and innovation in support of the Assembly as a legislature.

Parliamentary and Political Understanding

… is displaying an appropriate understanding of the wider political environment; what the Assembly does and how our role fits in; and the level of public scrutiny to which the actions and decisions of Assembly staff are exposed. It requires impartiality, integrity and political sensitivity.

Equal Opportunities Statement

The Assembly Commission is committed to equality of opportunity in employment and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified applicants irrespective of religious belief, political opinion, race, age, gender, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or people with dependents or without. All applications for employment will be considered on the basis of merit.

Location

The successful applicant will be based in Parliament Buildings, Belfast. Some opportunity for hybrid working may be available based on a business need.

Completing the form

Only the information presented in the application form will be considered by the selection panel. CVs or other supplementary material will not be accepted in place of, or in addition to, completed application forms. Completed online forms must be submitted by 12 noon (UK time) on 29 September 2023.

Launch the application portal and complete the application form.

Application forms submitted after the closing time and date will not be accepted.

Recruitment and Selection Framework

There are five elements within the Recruitment and Selection Framework:

Experience – the knowledge or mastery of an activity or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it.

Ability – the aptitude or potential to perform to the required standard.

Technical – the demonstration of specific professional skills, knowledge or qualifications.

Assembly Skills and Behaviours – the actions and activities that people do which result in effective performance in a job.

Strengths – the things we do regularly, do well and that motivate us.

The elements that will be assessed for this role are Experience, Technical, Assembly Skills and Behaviours and Strengths and the selection method(s) that will be used are detailed below. Further information on the Recruitment and Selection Framework are included in the Guidance on Recruitment and Selection for Applicants.

Stages of the Selection Process

Eligibility Sift

The essential criteria reflect the experience and knowledge that an applicant must possess in order to be able to undertake the role. An eligibility sift will be carried out on the basis of the information contained in the essential criteria section of the application form. You must therefore demonstrate clearly in your form how, and to what extent, you meet with the essential criteria for the post.

Shortlisting

The Selection Panel reserve the right to use shortlisting as part of the selection process for this post. Should shortlisting be used, the shortlisting criterion listed on page 5 will be applied. The Selection Panel reserve the right to set a minimum standard for the shortlisting criterion and/or to only invite those who score highest in the shortlisting criterion to the next stage of the selection process. If shortlisting is not necessary, all applicants who have demonstrated the essential criteria will proceed to the next stage of the selection process.

Assessment Stage

As part of the selection process, applicants will be required to complete a written exercise. Applicants who pass the written exercise will be invited to attend an interview.

Assessments are planned for week commencing: 16 October 2023.

Interview Stage

The interview will assess the information contained in this booklet and will include the preparation and delivery of a presentation to the selection panel.

The subject of the presentation will be communicated to the applicant in the invite to interview letter.

Interviews are planned for 23 and 24 October 2023.

Further Interview Stage

The Selection Panel reserves the right to hold a further interview stage if deemed necessary.

Further information on the Recruitment and Selection process is available in the Recruitment and Selection Framework and Guidance on Recruitment and Selection for Applicants.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

The Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) supports applicants with disabilities or those with a long-term impairment or health condition, that is expected to last for at least 12 months and which means that they cannot meet the shortlisting criteria. In these instances, provided that they have demonstrated in their application form that they meet the essential criteria for the role, the applicant will be invited to interview. If you are applying under GIS it is therefore important that you include all relevant information in your application form. You should refer to the Guidance on Recruitment and Selection for Applicants for more information.

In instances where an assessment or test forms part of the selection process and is not a shortlisting tool, then all applicants must meet the minimum standard required for that assessment or test, including those applying under GIS.

When considering applications made under GIS, the Human Resources Office reserves the right to request medical information from the applicant’s general practitioner (through the applicant and with their consent).

If you are disabled and consider that you require reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate in any part of the selection process, please indicate this on the application or contact us at recruitment@niassembly.gov.uk.

You can get advice or assistance with making an application from your local Jobs and Benefits Office – contact details are available on NIDirect:

Find contact details for your local Jobs and Benefits Office.

Key Employee Benefits

We offer an annual leave allowance of 25 days, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30 days. In addition, we offer 12 days of public and privilege holidays.

The Assembly Commission will enrol you into the Civil Service Pension Scheme from the first day of employment. Staff contribute between 4 and 9% of salary and the Assembly Commission contributes a further 28 to 35% of salary, depending on your rate of pay.

We also offer a range of non-salary benefits which include supportive family friendly policies; flexi-time; health and wellbeing initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme; supported learning and development; Cycle to Work Scheme; Payroll Giving; and volunteering opportunities.

The successful applicant will be given suitable training, including formal specialised courses as necessary.

View further details of our employee benefits.

Terms and Conditions of Appointment

This is a permanent appointment. The successful candidate will be an employee of the Assembly Commission. All appointments are subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.

The standard working week is 37 hours, (excluding meal breaks). Working hours will be dictated by the mode of operation of the Assembly and may involve work into late evenings and on occasions, at weekends and on public holidays.

The taking of annual leave may be influenced by the Parliamentary timetable.

Equality Monitoring

Under Fair Employment legislation, we are required to monitor the community background and gender of those applying for jobs. You must therefore complete the equal opportunities monitoring section of the application form when applying for the post.

Merit List

The merit list of applicants deemed to be appointable will remain “live” for 18 months from the date it is signed and may be used to fill any further permanent or fixed term opportunities for the same post.

Communication during the recruitment process

The Assembly Recruitment Team will issue most communication electronically. You should therefore regularly check your email account to make sure you do not miss any important communication. Please note, sometimes the Recruitment Team emails are automatically filtered as spam by email providers.

Further Information

If you require more information on the recruitment process, please contact the Recruitment Team on 02890 521741 or recruitment@niassembly.gov.uk

Further information about the Assembly can be obtained on the Northern Ireland Assembly website.

The Candidate Information Booklet does not constitute any term or condition of employment.